All those years
by Live2bhappy
Summary: Cato and Clove's life before the games. What it was like being trained to kill.
1. Prologue

**All those years.**

**Rated: T.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games.**

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Clove was seven when she was chosen for an elite training force. Her father offered her up thinking it would make her the daughter he wanted. "You'll be brilliant Clove" He said stuffing a piece of bread in his mouth. "It's a shame how old you're sisters are..." Clove's sisters, Clary and Carlie were 12 and 16 young enough to still qualify but too old for the elite team.

Clary looked at her dinner ashamed. "Sorry, Dad" she said earning a grunt in response.

"Now Clove, tomorrow when you get there, act tough, don't let the other kids act like their all that." he said seriously. Clove nodded lightly. "And, be good." she nodded again listening carefully. Her mother excused herself a minute later claiming to need the toilet.

"Why doesn't mom want me to go?" she asked confused. Her dad was so happy. The games were an honor. Her mother should be happy... Shouldn't she?

"She is happy Clove," he said looking at his food. "Just nervous, don't mind her." He went into a rant about someone on the peacekeeping force and Clove poked at her food a bit more. Carlie was glaring at her across the table. Alicia looked ready to cry. She felt terrible.

She supposed she should be happy too. Or at least sort of excited. She tried really hard to be. When teachers praised her for it. Or when her grandma had given her a good luck present. But the elite force was known for being hard. They only got a month off a year while Clary and Carlie came home every evening and got two months break.

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Clove was sent to bed an hour early, something that she defiantly wasn't happy about. Clary came in at around midnight. Clove couldn't sleep so she didn't mind when she shook her shoulder lightly to wake her. "Hi," she said trying to sound happy.

"You're nervous" she pointed out sitting on the edge of her bed. "I came to wish you luck."

"Thanks, I'll be gone when you wake up wont I?" Clary nodded lightly. Clove sighed. "Does Carlie hate me?"

"No, she's jealous, everyone is." Clary said quietly. "When I first heard you got on I wanted to kill you!"

"Why didn't you?" Clove asked interested. Her sisters usually didn't hold back on beating her up, well Carlie anyway Clary wasn't as bad.

"You're my sister." she answered quietly. "Who needs sleep." she said looking out the window. "Love you sis"

"Love you too."

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Cato had been in the Elites a year when they were told a new person would be joining. "You're useless Cato!" their coach yelled as he sliced parts off the dummy's with a sword. "That one would have you killed by now, so would that one! Step it up or new guy's replacing you!"

Cato had the sudden urge to slam the sword through his throat. Make him shut up. Instead he stabbed all the dummy's in the throat. "Better! Work harder!" he yelled going to yell at a girl a year older than Cato who cried when yelled at. She'd be replaced. He focused on that.. If anyone went it was her.

He remembered the look the guy he replaced gave him when he first joined. He wanted to kill him there and then. He remembered the boy had held a club. Oh yeah if the new guy replaced him. He'd be holding a club too.

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	2. morning before

**All those years.**

**Rated: T.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games.**

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Clove reluctantly allowed her mother do her hair. She only really said yes so she'd leave her alone for a while. "All done." her mother said sadly. Clove still couldn't understand why she was so sad. This was an amazing opportunity. At least that's what her dad had said.

Clove picked up her school bag before running to school tiredly. She'd been up two hours early so her dad could give her a lecture on how to behave. She got to school just in time.

As she ran up the steps she ran straight into someone. She looked up ready to apologize until she saw who it was. "Cato." she said annoyed picking up her books.

"Clove." he hissed not noticing either. He grabbed the rest of his stuff. Allowing her stomp up the rest of the steps past him. She didn't hate him. He just bothered her for some reason. She got to her class placing her books on her desk.

"Morning Class!" the teacher said excitedly. "Everyone, we need to wish Clove good luck, this afternoon she will be joining the Elite training force!" Clove smiled lightly putting her head back into her book.

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Cato sat at the back of his classroom begging for the last class to come faster. "Cato, come to my desk after class." the teacher said before going back over the history of Panem.. again.

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Cato did as he was told walking up to his desk annoyed wanting to get to training early. "Yes sir?" he asked sighing lightly.

"Would you be kind, and show the new trainee to the center today?" Cato rolled his eyes slightly before nodding.

"I couldn't think of a better way to spend my time.."

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